The Runaway (gxg)

Chp. 9

"You were imprisoned for talking with Ben?" Sabine drunkenly asked me.

"Yes, everything happened so fast that day. The next thing I knew I was waking up on the dirty concrete." I said.

"She's a tough one isn't she?" Rai drunkenly snaked her arm around my waist.

"I think that's enough."

I took the bottle from her grasp and placed it down on the ground.

"Let's get you to bed."

With all of my strength, I carried her in a bridal style.

"You take care of her princess. She might be hard as a stone, but inside she's just pillow." Sabine said.

"Noted."

I made my way safe inside the cabin. Rai is not that heavy though.

"What do you think our brothers are doing?" I innocently asked.

"Probably fucking." She laughed.

"What?"

"What?"

I shooked the thoughts of them actually doing it inside this small cabin. That would be nasty.

I opened the door with one hand and my knee. I gently laid her on the bed, making sure that her position is comfortable.

"You know, it wasn't Ben's fault about the servants being imprisoned. It was my fault, Ben was just the puppet." She slurred but I got what she said.

"Really? Ben blamed himself for that."

"No, it was mine." She tightly gripped my wrist, which will probably leave a mark.

"Okay, it's your fault okay?" I calmly said, hiding the pain behind my voice.

She removed her hand from my bruised wrist. Yep, a mark.

"I freaking commanded him to tell Father that the maids are the reason why the cottage burnt. When it was me who accidentally burnt it."

"Shh. Stop crying, it's the past." I caress her soft hair.

"My misery won't end until those maids are free out of the prison."

She held into my arm like a pillow. Then she started to plant light kisses on it.

"Your skin's so soft Jeanne. How can you not remember me when I was the only one you had when you're sad." She bitterly said the last part.

"Well Rai, I don't understand where all of these are coming from because I don't know you until I met you last week."

"Oh god, I can't even remember my childhood." I facepalmed myself.

Who the fuck was my childhood friend?

"Then let me help you to remember it."

"Okay, tell me please."

When I didn't get a response, I turned around just to face her sleeping face.

Mouth a little agape and small snoring.

I kept on staring at her face, trying to remember every detail of it. But none, it's like myself didn't exist before. A void.

"Why can't I remember?" I muttered.

"Please help me, Rai, please." I rested my head on her chest as I started to shakily cry.

"She's asleep. Why don't you sleep too?" It was Nico.

He walked outside the cabin and asked me to follow him.

"I heard everything about... I am so sorry Nikole that this has to happen to you."

"I don't get it, Nico. Why does Rai keep saying these things that I didn't even know exists? I'm losing my mind!"

Nico sat at the bench, he pats the space beside him.

"When you were born, I thought, a girl? Again?" He laughed.

I laughed along with him between my sniffles.

"You do have a childhood, Nikole. You actually had so many friends. It's like you created your own cult in a small age."

"Anyway, when you were 5 years old, I was 15, Janna and Marly just turned 9. Our family had this trip. We were actually traveling to the south."

"Like the mountains and beaches?" I asked.

"Yes, we actually traveled for the beach actually." He nodded, staring at the stars.

"So yeah, we made it there. We enjoyed the day so much. Then the night came."

He heavily sighed and asked me if I want to continue. I eagerly nodded.

"I saw you playing outside the cabin with Janna and Marly. I can hear your loud giggles even the distance from the cabin and the beach is far."

"When our parents asked me to fetch the three of you, I only saw the twins playing with sand, without you. So I asked them where were. They shrugged and went back to their stupid sandcastle."

"Mother and Father had to ask the guards to search for you around the place. Moments later, a guard came back to our cabin out of breathing. He said that he found you."

I gasped, the tears started to make their own way back again out of my eyes again.

"They found you laying at the corner of the beach, it's like you were dead. The guards said that you must have hit your head to the rocks because you have a large scar on your forehead."

"Then we called the doctor nearby. He said that your head made a big impact with big rocks around the beach."

He paused, he started to cry and shakily let out a sigh.

"The doctor said that you have this condition called Retrograde Amnesia. When you were healed from the scars, I noticed that you have changed Nikole. You weren't as talkative before and you developed anxiety."

"So, I really did forget about my childhood, that's why I can't remember Rai." I sighed.

"Sadly, yes."

"But why don't you ask her? Ask her about your friendship before." He added.

"Yeah, I already said that to her earlier."

"While she's drunk?" He deadpanned.

"Yes."

"Better sleep now then. So that you have all the energy and guts tomorrow." He stood up from the bench and offered me a hug.

"This is the topic we've been trying to avoid, but since you want to bring it up, I guess I have no choice but to tell you the truth." He softly patted my back.

"Thank you, Nico. I love you."

"I love you too Nikole."